Stages of Alcoholic Liver disease

Heavy drinkers are at risk of developing alcohol tolerance as their livers increase the enzymes responsible for the breakdown of the alcohol. The liver enzymes of binge drinkers can increase two or more times the normal levels

Alcohol tolerance increases as the person then requires more alcohol to have the same effect on their body.

A waste product of the alcohol breakdown is called ethanal, and it is a toxic chemical that interacts with molecules in the body (like protein) causing damage to liver, and can, in extreme cases lead to alcoholic liver disease.

Alcohol will not just cause problems for the liver. Your brain and also the blood vessels of your body can be damaged. In the early stages of alcohol addiction, the effects can be reversed by stopping. If the person fails to stop, the disease can lead to death.

Alcoholic liver disease has a number of stages associated with it.

As more alcohol is consumed, the body starts storing fat deposits in the cells of the liver. These can lead to bloating of the liver. The liver has an enormous capacity to repair itself, and if the person stops drinking for several weeks, the liver could repair itself. However, if they continue, the damage that results will become irreversible.

Jaundice and hepatitis can occur and these will lead onto cirrhosis which is not curable due to the fibrous nature of the liver.

Cirrhosis is stage in liver disease where much of the healthy cells have been replaced with fibrous material. New cells try to grow in lobules, but these tend to have low blood supplies, so are destined to fail from the start.

A number of symptoms are connected with cirrhosis including internal bleeding and vomiting. Cirrhosis is not curable, but it can be halted in its tracks from doing any more damage if the person stops drinking.

Alcohol is addictive and many people find it incredibly difficult to stop. As a depressive, stopping can lead to "rebound hyperactivity" and delirium tremens (DTs), restlessness and agitation. You can often spot alcohol dependency by looking for:

Daily drinking of 10 units of alcohol per day with little effect and no obvious signs of drunkenness.